Bojangles Coliseum opened in **1955**, when its dome was the largest unsupported span in the world. Seventy years later, the boiler systems are original to the Eisenhower administration. The chiller at Ovens Auditorium next door dates to the 1990s. In February, roof leaks forced the rescheduling of multiple events, including the USA Curling national championships. Council Member **Dimple Ajmera** put it plainly: “This is critical. It’s embarrassing to have the roof leaking when there is a game being played.” On March 23, Charlotte City Council voted unanimously to spend **$25 million** on the complex — **$23 million** for a full HVAC replacement and **$2 million** for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing studies to determine what else is failing. The money comes from the city’s hospitality tax fund, collected from hotels and rental cars and restricted to tourism-related infrastructure. Two days after the vote, Springfield lost to Providence, and the Charlotte Checkers’ position in the Atlantic Division became mathematically secure. (https://cltmercury.com/sports/checkers-playoffs-seven-straight-2026). In the same building. ## The Most Consistent Professional Sports Team in Charlotte The Hornets have not made the playoffs since 2016. The Panthers have not had a winning record since 2017. Charlotte FC has reached the MLS postseason twice in four years and never won a series. The Checkers have qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs every year for eight years running — won the championship in 2019, reached the Finals again in 2025, and clinched this week with nine games still remaining on a schedule they will close entirely at home. They play in a building whose heating predates the franchise by half a century. On game nights, the old dome holds about 9,000 people and sounds like it holds twice that — intimate and loud in a way that nothing else in Charlotte’s professional sports landscape comes close to matching. ### The Florida Panthers Pipeline Charlotte’s AHL club is the top development arm of the **Florida Panthers**, back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, run through a dual front office in which the Checkers’ general manager, **Paul Krepelka**, simultaneously serves as Florida’s Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. Head coach **Geordie Kinnear**, appointed by the Panthers in 2020, has more than 300 AHL coaching wins and reached the Calder Cup Finals last spring. The team was acquired in July 2024 by **Zawyer Sports & Entertainment**, whose minority partners include **Kevin Harvick** and former Panthers long-snapper **J.J. Jansen**. ### Where the Checkers Stand At **37-21-5** with **79 points**, the Checkers sit third in the Atlantic — 16 points clear of fourth-place Hershey, with a realistic path to home ice in the first round. Last spring they swept Hershey in three games and the Laval Rocket in four before losing the Calder Cup Finals to Abbotsford in six. That Finals run happened in a building whose core systems were, by the city’s own assessment, past their useful life. ## What the $25 Million Actually Buys The $25 million covers HVAC. The $2 million funds a study. The roof leaks are being addressed separately, under an ongoing resealing project. City engineer **Kathleen Cishek** told Council the study was necessary to “assess the existing core building systems to understand their remaining useful life.” The funding source matters. Hospitality taxes are restricted to tourism-related purposes. A 70-year-old arena on East Independence Boulevard qualifies. Whether it qualifies as a long-term plan is the question the $2 million study is designed to answer. ### The Return on the Investment What the package does not include is a broader answer to what Bojangles Coliseum becomes. The return on the investment is a hockey team that has made the Calder Cup Playoffs eight years in a row, serves as the top development pipeline for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, and will open its postseason at the BoPlex in April. The Checkers beat the Hartford Wolf Pack **2-1 in overtime** Saturday night on the road — **Brian Pinho** scored both goals. They play Hartford again Sunday, then come home. The HVAC replacement is scheduled for completion in **July**. The playoffs start before that. Charlotte’s most consistent professional sports franchise will play its entire postseason in a building the city just committed $25 million to keep running.

Related: Charlotte Checkers Playoff Watch: Where They Stand With Two Weeks Left